Outdoor - Pots vs Ground

wexpac

wexpac

Active Member
Whats up I was looking for somebodies opinion real quick. Anyways im from Cali and have only grown outdoor once in the past with the same strain (purple urkel) and I used no nutrients other than the ones in the ocean forest soil and grew one plant about 15" tall and got only about an 35 grams total off this baby plant in my 5 gallon bucket. This year I have decided to try out 10 gallon buckets and use the entire Foxfarm nutrient line as 6 month cycle outdoor is quite sometime to only gain 35 grams.


Now for my question is how much bigger/taller/higher of a yield can I expect from planting these babies in the ground with some fresh soil rather than these giant 10 gallon buckets?? Also my current ground soil is very very dry and contaminated with weeds (not the good ones) what is the best approach at doing something like this for a couple beauties in the ground?

I understand each strain is very different and I am specifically referring to those of you who grow purple of any type outdoor. I can appreciate a 4ft tall plant but my neighbors might appreciate it even more if I dont keep my eyes open so I cannot really afford losing a few 6ft monsters. Thanks for your input.
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
First of all, 10 gallon pots aren't that big. I'm rolling with 45 gallon pots, and THOSE aren't that big...200 Gallon smartpots...now that is BIG! Anyway, plant in the ground will grow bigger, but you're gonna have to clear all the weeds, dig massive 3'x3' holes, backfill with premium soil. Make sure you have good sun exposure if you plant in the ground too. BTW, many strains planted in the ground OR in pots properly taken care of will surpass 6 feet without training, so you can top and LST to keep 'em low.
 
wexpac

wexpac

Active Member
LoL yeah 10 gallon buckets dont seem that big now... how deep should I make these holes? 2ft or around there i'm guessing... also how far is it necessary to spread them apart so the roots dont tangle each other
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
If you can, try to space out the plants 4 or 5 feet apart, but 3 feet will work. You just don't want them stealing too much of each others light. And my holes were 3 feet deep, and 2.5-3 feet wide, alot of sweat and hard work.
 
C

chief blunts

Active Member
First of all, 10 gallon pots aren't that big. I'm rolling with 45 gallon pots, and THOSE aren't that big...200 Gallon smartpots...now that is BIG! Anyway, plant in the ground will grow bigger, but you're gonna have to clear all the weeds, dig massive 3'x3' holes, backfill with premium soil. Make sure you have good sun exposure if you plant in the ground too. BTW, many strains planted in the ground OR in pots properly taken care of will surpass 6 feet without training, so you can top and LST to keep 'em low.

i'd say anywhere out of 4.5' and you should be safe as far as spacing- but don't forget about the outdoor growers who cram into raised beds and have good results, as long as you stay out of the 3 ft x 3 ft you should be ok.
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
I don't think this guy wants to grow monsters though...

wexpac, If you're gonna dig big holes, you better read up on LST, topping and FIMing, and supercropping...All effective methods of keeping your plant height down.
 
T

Throwed

Active Member
Last year I put my plants in the ground and they got 6-7 feet tall. Got roughly 1/2 to 3/4 a pound off each plant(dried). When I pulled them the root balls were big, but not so big that they would not fit in a 5 gallon container. Right now I put my non fem plants in 5 gallon grow bag until I know their sex. After that I put them in the ground. I have one regular seed that is female that is still in a 5 gallon grow bag. She is basically 3 feet tall in just a tad over 2 months. I checked her root development and she is no where near maxing out the 5 gallon grow bag. I can't see her maxing the bag out even when she is ready for harvest. IMO, anything over 5 gallon is a waste. Especially for a anual plant that only has a 6-7 month life span. Nursuries grow TREES in 5 gallon grow bags so I am sure Mary Jane is ok in a 5 gallon container. Don't believe some of the hype around here dude.
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
Throwed said:
Last year I put my plants in the ground and they got 6-7 feet tall. Got roughly 1/2 to 3/4 a pound off each plant(dried). When I pulled them the root balls were big, but not so big that they would not fit in a 5 gallon container. Right now I put my non fem plants in 5 gallon grow bag until I know their sex. After that I put them in the ground. I have one regular seed that is female that is still in a 5 gallon grow bag. She is basically 3 feet tall in just a tad over 2 months. I checked her root development and she is no where near maxing out the 5 gallon grow bag. I can't see her maxing the bag out even when she is ready for harvest. IMO, anything over 5 gallon is a waste. Especially for a anual plant that only has a 6-7 month life span. Nursuries grow TREES in 5 gallon grow bags so I am sure Mary Jane is ok in a 5 gallon container. Don't believe some of the hype around here dude.
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Dude, it's cool, cause wexpac said he didn't want to grow big plants, so 10 gallons will suffice...

But try doing THIS in 5 gallon containers, buddy

[video=youtube;MOENDGUUVRk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOENDGUUVRk&feature=related[/video]

Hype Indeed!
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
hazeforlife said:
i do 5 gallon buckets with huge holes in the bottom, the roots grow right into the ground
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Good thinking, my man! I was going to do that with some 18 gallon rubbermaid's this year, just cutting the entire bottom off...I opted to just dig bit holes instead...But hell, I might still try it just for fun!
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
yoquierotacobell said:
Do one in the 5 gallon bucket and one in the ground. Report back which one did better.
Click to expand...
Absolutely not. I know the answer buddy. Whats the obsession with 5 gallon buckets? They're far too small for a good season's root ball. Unless you're tlaking about cutting off the bottom, in which case, maybe with an 18 gallon pot, but I want my plants roots to have enough horizontal growth.
 
Y

yoquierotacobell

Active Member
look up urban grower on youtube, you'll see what's possible in 5 gallon buckets or 10 for that matter. Either way, in the end its your grow do what you want.
 
realnyjuggalo23

realnyjuggalo23

Active Member
im grow some pretty ladie who i would like to put into th ground.......need some info can n e one here help me out........i am told ima have monsters come august........first outdoor grow, gonna transplant them in 1 week to their final homes out door ........................
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
wexpac said:
Whats up I was looking for somebodies opinion real quick. Anyways im from Cali and have only grown outdoor once in the past with the same strain (purple urkel) and I used no nutrients other than the ones in the ocean forest soil and grew one plant about 15" tall and got only about an 35 grams total off this baby plant in my 5 gallon bucket. This year I have decided to try out 10 gallon buckets and use the entire Foxfarm nutrient line as 6 month cycle outdoor is quite sometime to only gain 35 grams.


Now for my question is how much bigger/taller/higher of a yield can I expect from planting these babies in the ground with some fresh soil rather than these giant 10 gallon buckets?? Also my current ground soil is very very dry and contaminated with weeds (not the good ones) what is the best approach at doing something like this for a couple beauties in the ground?

I understand each strain is very different and I am specifically referring to those of you who grow purple of any type outdoor. I can appreciate a 4ft tall plant but my neighbors might appreciate it even more if I dont keep my eyes open so I cannot really afford losing a few 6ft monsters. Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
in ground the roots have some were to go..
 
wheezer

wheezer

Well-Known Member
First of all, Purple Erkle, is a very small,slow vegging strain, so you picked a good one if your not wanting them to get too big.My experience with Erkle is that because of it's small size, it's roots don't get huge either (not nearly as big as other strains) so a 10 gallon bucket would prolly do ya just fine. If you want to dig a hole, 3x3 is big enough for a Purple Erkle, and only go about 18-24" deep, any deeper than that is overkill cause the roots don't get much oxygen any deeper than that. But if you ever decide to go bigger, with bigger strains, the wider the whole the better.
And this guy that's tellin everyone that anything bigger than 5 gallons is overkill, obviously has never grown a real plant, and simply does not know what he's talkin' about. The post above mine here shows you the truth, and when I pulled my plants last year, there's NO WAY my roots would've fit in a 100 gallon grow bag much less a 5 gallon bucket.....nonsense! Good luck with that Erkle, that's some really good smoke.
 
d.s.m.

d.s.m.

Well-Known Member
Some advantages of digging holes:

Lower overall height. If your container is 18" tall, that's 18" less you have to work with.

Root temperature. If it gets hot where you live, soil temps in containers can get quite warm. Roots don't really appreciate this. Ground temps don't vary nearly as much.

Ease of care. When the soil in a container gets dry, it's dry, period. In the ground, your roots can draw off the moisture in the native soil, making missing a day or two of watering much less stressful to the plant.

Digging those holes is a pain in the ass, but I think it's worth it.
 
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